What on earth happened to it?

my2rotties · #1 02-01-2009, 06:07 AM

I noticed my anemone was not looking so fresh this morning. Finally I gently turned it over and see it is almost blown open on the bottom side. It is not soft tissue and it very rubber like in appearance. I don't know where it is coming from but there is a bubble of normal tissue underneath it. I don't know how to post full sized pictures but here is a link to the picture in my photobucket.

It is hard and like rubber and I feel no holes or damage aside of the odd looking flesh. My poor clownfish is beside himself and I am wondering if I should take this anemone out. I have been unable to find any useful info on what could have possibly happened to him. It also looks like its insides are coming out of its mouth. The damaged tissues looks like it was shredded on a cheese grater and healed up with scar tissue if that makes sense.

http://s388.photobucket.com/albums/o...rent=002-3.jpg

http://s388.photobucket.com/albums/o...rent=003-1.jpg

I am sorry about picture quality but it is all I have for the time since I have a camera phone. I saw a hermit crab by it the other day but thought nothing of it. It looked excellent last night and not so fresh this morning. SHould I take it out?

superduperwesman · #2 02-01-2009, 06:16 AM

You just do this [IMG]http:/.... (image location)[/IMG]

my2rotties · #3 02-01-2009, 06:43 AM

You make it look so easy.

Thanks for posting pics of my odd and creepy nem. I hope it makes it but I'm thinking I should pull it before bed.

mike31154 · #4 02-02-2009, 02:46 AM

How's it going with that. Sure doesn't look good.

my2rotties · #5 02-02-2009, 03:54 AM

I had to take it out this morning as I did not feel it was worth risking my system any longer. I have no idea of what happened to it but it appeared that something had been feeding on it. It still was stinging but there was another area on its base that appeared to be eaten away. I could stick my finger into it.

It was not rotting but it was clearly missing tissue. It looked damaged and not decomposing.

It was fantastic the night before was eating and I had no worries about it. What happened to it overnight is a mystery and no research prepared me for what I saw in the morning. My poor clownfish is homeless now, and I have no way of learning anything from this loss so far. I know this is a new system, however the rock is from a canreef member and is well matured, and my water params were perfect.

I hope someone might have some insight into this eventually.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #6 02-02-2009, 04:41 AM

What are you nitrates at?

Anemones don't really tolerate nitrates being too high and I know you have a lot of fish for a reef set up. I would test and see.

my2rotties · #7 02-02-2009, 05:36 AM

All levels were zero. My husband brought this nem home and I was really ****ed at him for it... I made sure everything is zero at all times. For the amount of fish I have in my system my water is extremely stable and never has spikes and such.

I guess it is due to the 350 or more pound of rock I have in the entire system and the fact that is very well established. I also have a 36w UV sterilizer and phosban reactor. I also have over 9000gph total flow in my system and am just very lucky until this point.

When my 55g crashed I saw what a dying nem looks like. This nem looks like it was eaten by something or perhaps the clownfish was bullying it too much and ground it into the rocks.

When I came down to see the nem in the shape it was in first thing I did was check my water, several times throughout the day. It was all fine but I still did a water change in case something was happening beyond my water tests... If there was it did not show in any or my corals or fish at all.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #8 02-02-2009, 05:42 AM

Oh I just remembered you have puffers too

Were they eating it? I have yet to be able to keep a nem with puffers. They have eaten them every time

my2rotties · #9 02-02-2009, 06:23 AM

Oh heck no. Griff has eaten many a things but has no interest what so ever in the nem. The maroon clownfish that was hosting it would launch such a vicious attack on whatever swam anywhere near the nem, nobody dared to go over there. The damage on the nem was below the rock line it was nestled in. No fish could get below the tenticles if it wanted to do so.

The best I can describe these injuries to the nem is the outside looked like an exit wound from a bullet. I was able to put my finger inside of it, but did not really go in to check it out. I'm not the type of person to be sticking my finger in strange holes

. Perhaps I should have done so to see if something might have been inside. There was no change in water quality at all and I checked before bed and after wake up. This was a very sudden thing to happen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

Oh I just remembered you have puffers too

Were they eating it? I have yet to be able to keep a nem with puffers. They have eaten them every time

Ollie · #10 02-02-2009, 01:17 PM

If it's not to late. You might try keeping it in a seperate tank. It might be splitting.